Mechanism for applying indicia to packages or the like



Dec. 25, 1956 L. MASTELLA 2,775,193

MECHANISM FOR APPLYING INDICIA TO PACKAGES OR THE LIKE Filed March 30, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l J5 @TCZ I/VVE/VTOR LOU/$12!. MASTELLA "fizz-76W ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1956 1.. MASTELLA 2,775,193

MECHANISM FOR APPLYING INDICIA TO PACKAGES OR THE LIKE i'iled March 30. 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 //v VE/VTO/i LOU/.5 J. MASTELLA Jail/14M ATTORNEY Dec. 25, 1956 L. MASTELLA 2,775,193

MECHANISM FOR APPLYING INDICIA T0 PACKAGES OR THE LIKE Filed March 30, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I/VVE/VTOR LOU/5 J. MASTELLA B) QR/11w ATTO'R/VE) Dec. 25, 1956 MASTELLA 2,775,193

MECHANISM FOR APPLYING INDICIA TO PACKAGES OR THE LIKE Filed March 30, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I Erma/7&0-

"ATTORNEY.

MECHANISM FOR APPLYING INDICIA T6 PACKAGES OR THE LIKE Louis Mastella, Qicero, Ill., assignor to Win. Wrigley, Jr. Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application March 30, 1953, Serial No. 345,593 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-47 This invention relates to a mechanism for applying indicia to packages and will be described with reference to its application to dating packages of confectionery or food such as gum or the like.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a mechanism which will automatically apply a mark of the desired character to packages as they emerge from a packaging machine, the mechanism utilizing the motion of the packages as they are ejected from the machine for its source of power.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for applying a stamp or other indicia upon packages as they emerge from the packaging machine, wherein the motive power for the mechanism is supplied by the packages themselves and wherein the packages are not harmed in any way by the mechanism driven thereby.

A more specific object of this invention is the provision of mechanism for stamping or otherwise applying indicia to packages wherein means are provided for readily changing these indicia or for interrupting the indicia-applying process Without interrupting the flow of packages from the packaging machine.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for applying an inked stamp to packages continuously as they emerge from a packaging machine, with means for regulating the amount of ink applied to the stamp, or for completely removing the ink applying means without in any way disturbing the remainder of the mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide a mechanism for applying indicia to packages as they emerge from a packaging machine wherein the power for driving the mechanism is supplied by the packages themselves, the point of application of power from the packages to the mechanism being perfectly synchronized with the application of the indicia to the packages so that said indicia may appear at precisely the same place on each package.

A feature of this invention is a means for holding the packages relative to the indicia-applying means while said indicia are being applied to avoid creating a blurred imprint.

Another feature of this invention is a guide means for the packages as they pass through the indicia-applying mechanism, said guide means maintaining the packages in side by side relation as they pass through the mechanism.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the indicia-applying mechanism showing portions of the cover of the mechanism removed and other portions of the mechanism in partial section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section take along line 22 ofFig. l;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation partly in section of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, taken along line 33 of Fig. 1, and

United States Patent ice showing the disposition of the various driving sprockets and gears along the drive shaft of the device;

Fig. 4 is another side elevation in section taken along line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation in section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the ends of the packages as they enter, pass through, and leave the indicia-applying mechanism, and particularly the manner in which driving force is transferred from the packages to the mechanism; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a packaging machine showing the means for impelling the packages along a chute to the indicia-applying mechanism of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the invention and particularly to Fig. 7, there is shown a rectangle 10 which represents in schematic form an apparatus for Wrapping a plurality of sticks of gum into separate packages 12 having a generally rectangular cross-section, such packages 12 being impelled from the apparatus 10 by means of a pair of opposed rollers 11 or the like. The packages of gum 12 leave rollers 11 in side by side relation and are conducted by a chute 13 to the indicia-applying mechanism of this invention shown generally at 14 from which packages 12 emerge along an extension of chute 13 to be fed to the neXt stage of packaging (not shown) which may be one wherein they are assembled in cartons for shipping.

it is understood that the reference herein to packages of gum is merely to illustrate one application of this invention and that the invention may be applied to various sizes of packages the contents of which may likewise vary even more widely.

The apparatus 10 forms no part of this invention other than to provide the power for impelling packages 12 along chute 13 to the indicia-applying mechanism 14 to supply said packages with energy which may be utilized to operate the mechanism 14.

Referring now to Fig. 1, chute 13 is shown disposed between symmetrically formed housings 15 and 16 Within which are located the means for applying the indicia to the packages. The indicia may take any form or charac ter but for purposes of illustration, numbers have been chosen, the numbers constituting a code which may be indicative of either the age, quality, or other characteristics of the contents of the package. The mechanism chosen herein for illustration is designed to apply the inked numbers to the ends of the packages but it is understood that the numbers may be applied to any other surface of the package by suitable rearrangement of the parts of this invention.

The packages of gum 12 are shown in dot-dash lines on chute 13. It will be observed that such packages 12 are disposed on chute 13 in such a manner that their longest dimension is cross-wise of the chute. With such an arrangement, the numbers may be applied to either end or to both ends of a package as desired. For this reason, duplicate apparatus is used for applying the numhers, said mechanism being disposed symmetrically about the chute and being adapted to apply numbers to the ends of the package.

To simplify the description, only one mechanism will be described in detail, it being understood that the parts of one mechanism are generally interchangeable with the parts of the mechanism on the other side of the chute with the exception of certain casting members and covers as will be made clear hereinafter.

The numbers to be stamped upon the ends of the packages 12 are printed thereon by means of raised characters 17 formed on a rubber type band 18 mounted on a roll 19. The rubber type band 18 is prevented from slipping relative to roll 19 by one or more pins 20 secured to 3 roll 19 and extending radially outwardly into a suitable opening formed in band 18 between two adjacent raised characters. Roll 19 has an apertured hub 20 by which it is mounted on a shaft 21 from which it is driven through a key 22. The fit between hub 20, key 22 and shaft 21 is sufliciently loose so that roll 19 may be readily lifted from shaft 21 without the aid of special implements. Roll 19 is provided with upper andlower serrated edges 21 and 22, disposed on either side of band 13, the function of the said serrated edges being to contact the ends of the packages 12 and hold said packages against slipping relative to rubber type band 18 while a number is being printed by the band on a package 12.

The serrated edges 21 and 22 are interrupted or scalloped as at 23 so that if for any reason the pressure exerted by the serrated edges against the ends of the package is greater than is necessary to hold the packages against slipping thereby pinching the packages, the excess material of the packages will expand into the scalloped portions without in any way damaging the package.

The disposition of the rolls 19 relative to the packages 12 and a portion of the drive for the rolls 19 are shown more clearly in Fig. to which reference is now made. It may be seen that shaft 21' extends downwardly through a sleeve bearing 24 which is mounted in a casting 25 which serves as a portion of the frame for the indicia applying mechanism. Casting 25 is formed with an ear 26 extending horizontally under chute 13.the latter being made of relatively thin sheet material. A heavy support plate 27 is placed below chute 13 and extends generally along the length of the mechanism 14 for applying indicia to the packages. Casting 25 is secured to plate 27 by means of screws 28 which pass through openings 29 in the car 26 said openings being elongated crosswise of chute 13 to permit an adjustment of the position of casting 25 relative to plate 27 whereby'to adjust the spacing of rolls 19 relative to one another and to the ends of packages 12.

Depending from each casting 25 is a bearing hanger 30 in which is mounted an anti-friction bearing 31 for rotatably supporting a shaft 32. On the ends of shaft 32 are mounted bevel gears 33 each of which has a hub 34 by which the gear is secured to shaft 32 through suitable means (not shown). Shaft 32 is driven from a sprocket 35 which in turn is driven by a chain 36 (Fig. 4) from a dr ve sprocket 37. Each bevel gear 33 meshes with a dr1ven bevel gear 38 secured to vertical shaft 21. A snap ring 39 in a suitable groove in shaft 21 at the end of sleeve bearing 24 acts as a stop to prevent shaft 21' from moving downward in the bearing 24, and upward movement of shaft 21 is prevented by hub 40 of driven bevel gear 38.

Drive sprocket 37 is secured to a drive shaft 41 (Figs. 3 and 4) and is supported by hangers 42 constituting extensions of castings 25, the shaft passing through openings 43 in said hangers 42, the outer ends of which are closed by plates 44 having a flange 45 extending at right angles to the plane of plates 44 and disposed along one side thereof. Said flanges 45 have threaded openings 46 therein to receive bolts 47 by which a housing 48 for covering the drive mechanism is secured to castings 25.

Said housing 48 is designed to enclose all of the opera tive mechanism generally disposed below chute 13. Shaft 41 is in turn driven from specially toothed wheels 49, two of which are shown in the embodiment selected for illustrating this invention.

The function of each toothed wheel 49 is best illustrated in Fig. 6 to which reference is now made. Each said wheel 49 is provided with a plurality of peripherally arranged teeth 50, each said tooth 50 having a surface 51 which is substantially radially disposed with respect to the axis of wheel 49. The wheels 49 are so designed and disposed relative to chute 13 that said teeth 59 will project above the surface of said chute 13 an amount approximately equal to one-half'the thickness of a package to be marked. To this end, chute 13 has a slot 52 (Fig. 1) formed therein for each toothed wheel 49, each said slot 52 permitting the teeth 51 to project through and above chute 13 into the path of movement of the packages 12 to be marked. It is contemplated that the packages 12 will be impelled along the chute 13 from right to left as viewed in Fig. 6. Thus, as the forward side 53 of each package 12 contacts the radial surface 51 on a tooth 50, it will push the tooth 50 ahead of it and thereby impart some of the energy in the moving stream of packages 12 to wheel 49. This energy is then utilized to turn shaft 41 and its sprocket 37, which in turn transfers its energy to chain 36 and the latter then drives sprocket 35 to rotate shaft 32. From shaft 32 the rotary motion is transmitted through bevel gears .33 and 3%; to shaft 21 and roll 19 as aforesaid.

inasmuch as packages 12 are impelled along chute 13 in side-by-side relation, the portion of each tooth 15 extending above chute 13 must displace a package 12 from the surface of chute 13 if the package immediately adjacent the driving package is not to be marred or mutilated. At the same time it is desirable that the side-byside relation of the packages be maintained so that those packages which are beyond toothed wheel 49 may yet be impelled past roll 19 in order to receive the indicia therefrom. it is for this reason that the height of each tooth 50 above chute 13 is selected to cause only a partial displacement of a package 12 out of the stream of packages as shown in Fig. 6. The remaining contact between adjacent packages after the displacement of one package is still sumcient to continue impelli'ng the packages along the chute.

To insure the continuous side-by-side relation of the packages 12 as they pass over a wheel 49, a guide 54 is provided (Fig. 6). Each guide 54 is comprised of a strap having a raised entrance portion 55, a substantially flat portion 56, a curved portion 57, the center of curvature of which is on the axis of rotation of shaft 41, and a substantially flat trailing portion 58. Each said strap is secured to a cross-bar 59 which in turn is secured to a sleeve 60 (Figs. 1 and 2) slidably mounted on the shank 61 of a bolt 62 secured to casting 25. Two such mountings 59, 60, 61 and 62 are provided for each guide and two guides are provided, one on either side of chute 13 and symmetrically disposed between a toothed wheel 49 and the end of a package 12. To prevent jamming of the packages between chute 13 and guide 54, the head of each bolt 62 is raised above sleeve 60 sufficiently to permit the insertion of a compressed coil spring 63 between the bolt head and the top of sleeve 60. This provides a yielding pressure on guide 54 to enable said guide 54 to move in response to unusual forces.

Referring again to Fig. 6, it will be observed that teeth 50 are spaced apart a distance which is such that the distance between corresponding surfaces 51 on teeth 50 is substantially equal to twice the width of packages 12. This means that every other package contacts a tooth 50 and remains in contact with the surface of chute 13 while the intermediate package rides upon the outer surface of a tooth 50 without transmitting any drive to the wheel 49. Since the package riding on the top surface of a tooth is nevertheless transmitting force from one package to another along the chute, there is a possibility that if said package is tilted with respect to the surface of chute 13, it will tend to move in the direction in which it is tilted. Thus, if it should become tilted upwardly, that is, the forward side 53 is higher than the opposite or rearward side 93, the compressive force exerted by the packa es on either side of the displaced package would tend to eject the package outwardly except for the restraint provided by guide 54. However, if the top surface 94 of a displaced package, and particularly the corner 95 formed by top surface 94 and forward surface 53 of a package, is forced against the curved portion 57 of guide 54, any irregularity or slight protuberance in the surface of said guide at this portion 57 would tend to catch the said corner 95 of the package and either tear the corner or jam the packages in the machine. On the other hand if the displaced package is tipped the other way so that the compressive force tends to urge the package 12 toward the surface of chute 13, then the corner 95 will be free of guide 54 as shown in Fig. 6 and the packages will progress smoothly along chute 13. It will be noted, therefore, that the top 64 of each tooth 50 is sloped slightly as shown in Fig. 6 so as to result in a downward inclination of each package 12 as it passes over a wheel 49 and to assure a smooth progress of packages 12 along chute 13.

It will be observed that each tooth 50 is provided with smoothly rounded corners, both external and internal, to avoid any damage to the packages 12 as they contact wheels 49. It will also be observed, particularly from Fig. 1, that the wheels 49 are substantially equidistantly spaced inward from the ends of the packages 12 to avoid cocking said packages in the chute and thus creating undesirable lateral components of force which might tend to impede or arrest the progress of the packages along said chute.

Means are provided for continuously supplying the raised characters 17 of rubber type band 18 with ink during the operation of the indicia-applying mechanism. This means is shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 to which reference is now made. The inking means is comprised of a soft inking roll 65 preferably made of ink absorbing material such as sponge rubber or the like rotatably mounted on a pin 66 which in turn is mounted on an arm. 67. Said arm 67 is adapted to swing about a fixed pin 68 depending from an extension 69 on casting 25. Inking roll 65 is resiliently held against raised characters 17 by a helical and spiral spring 70 one end 71 of which is anchored in a color 72 adjustably mounted on pin 68 and the other end 73 is anchored in arm 67. The amount of torsion provided by spring 70 may be varied by selecting the desired angular position of collar 72 on pin 68. A set screw 74 is provided for fixing collar 72 to pins 68 at the selected position.

Pin 68 extends above casting extension 69 and constitutes the supporting axle for a transfer roll 75 which receives ink from a wick 76 continuously in contact with roll 75 and transfers it to inking roll 65. The resilient mounting of arm 67 upon which inking roll 65 is rotatably mounted, serves to maintain contact between transfer roll 75 and inking roll 65 as well as to maintain contact between inking roll 65 and roll 19, the latter constituting a printing roll.

Wick 76 passes through an opening 77 in a bar 78 fixed to casting 25. A small set screw 79 disposed transversely of the opening 77 is arranged to constrict that opening 77 when advanced into said opening and consequently provides a means for regulating the amount of ink which passes along wick 76 to the transfer roll 75. The other end 80 of wick 76 rests at the bottom of a well 81 formed in casting 25 and containing a quantity of ink 82 which covers the said other end 80.

It will be observed that of the rolls 19, 65 and 75, only roll 19 is positively driven, roll 65 being driven from roll 19 by contact therewith and similarly roll 75 being driven from roll 65 by contact with said roll 65. As a feature of this invention, each of said rolls 19, 65 and 75 may be lifted off its supporting shaft or pin, as the case may be, without any diificulty, since these rolls are merely slid into place. Roll 19 must be properly indexed, however, but this is readily accomplished by reason of key 22 which permits roll 19 to assume only one position relative to shaft 21'. The removal of roll 19 from shaft 21 is more readily accomplished through the aid of a knurled knob 83 formed on the hub of roll 19. Said knob 83 is more clearly shown in Fig. 2 and in outline in Fig. 5. The removal of any one of said rolis 19, 65 and 75 from its support, disables the indicia-applying mechanism at one side of the chute but does not prevent the continuous passage of packages 12 along chute 13 past the printing mechanism 14. Furthermore, the disabling of one side by the removal of either roll 65 or roll 75 (but not roll 19) does not affect the continuous operation of the other side, so that if it is desired to apply the indicia to one end only of packages 12, this can readily be done and the packages 12 will continue to flow smoothly along chute 13.

Since only every other package is used to drive wheel 49, it is desirable that when the machine is started, the surface 51 of a tooth 50 be disposed substantially at right angles to the surface of chute 13 so that it will be engaged by the forward side 53 of a package 12 and so that therewill be at that time a maximum bearing area of said forward side 53 acting against surfaces 51 of the two toothed wheels 49. This desirable condition is achieved by the provision of a cam 84, shown most clearly in Fig. 4, said cam being secured to shaft 32 by means of a set screw 85 (Fig. 5) so that said cam 84 may be adjusted to any angular position relative to shaft 32. Said cam 84 is substantially square in contour, having four sides 86 and smoothly rounded corners 87. Cooperating with cam 84 is a leaf spring 88 having a curved free end 89 adapted to be contacted by sides 86 and corners 87 of cam 84. The other end of leaf spring 88 is secured to casting 25.

It is apparent that the rotation of cam 84 will meet with increasing resistance from spring 88 as corners 87 attempt to pass under free end 89 of said spring 88. Thus, if the motive power normally derived from packages 12 ceases, there will be nothing to overcome the resistance of spring 88 and in addition, due to the curvature of end 89 of spring 88, any force built up in said spring 88 by an attemptedrotation ofcam 84 prior to the disappearance of the motive power, will cause cam 84 to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 4, de pending upon which side of curved end 89 a corner 87 may be found until the spring pressure 88 is completely relieved, or at least is brought to the minimum value permitted by the initial setting of said spring 88. The relaxed position of cam 84 as so obtained is then related through sprocket 35, chain 36, sprocket 37 and shaft 41 to toothed wheels 49 so that said wheels assume at that time or under those conditions a position wherein surface 51 of a tooth 50 has a maximum bearing area upon the front side 53 of a package 12.

In the operation of the device, packages 12 are impelled along chute 13 from the packaging device 10 until the leading package strikes surfaces 51 On teeth 50 of toothed wheels 49, the teeth 50 extending above the surface of chute 13 as aforesaid. Continued movement of packages 12 along chute 13 causes a rotation of toothed wheels 49 which rotation is transmitted to shaft 41 and then through sprocket 37, chain 36 and sprocket 35 to shaft 32. The rotation of shaft 32 is in turn imparted to bevel gears 33 and 38 from which it is transmitted to shaft 21' and thence through keys 22 to both rolls 19. The rotation of rolls 19 causes raised characters 17 to touch the ends of packages 12 as the packages pass along chute 13 and thereby leave an imprint of a code number or other identifying character thereon. During this printing operation, the ends of the packages 12 will be held against skidding relative to raised characters 17 by contact with the serrated edges 21 of rolls 19. Turning of the rubber type band 18 relative to roll 19 during the rotation of said roll 19 is prevented by pin 20.

The rotation of rolls 19 also causes rotation of inking rollers 65 through contact between rubber type bands 18 and the outer surface of said inking rollers 65. This rotation of inking rollers 65 is transmitted to transfer rolls 75, likewise through contact therewith, and the requisite quantity of ink is transferred from said rolls 75 to inking rolls 65 during such contact. The ink is applied to transfer rolls 75 through contact between wicks 76] and the surface of said rolls 75, said wickslin turn ob? taining their supply of ink from wells 81. The quantity of ink supplied to transfer rolls 75 is regulated by set screws 79 and the quantity of ink taken from transfer rolls 75 is regulated by the pressure of helical spiral springs 71.

It is understood that the foregoing description is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the invention and that the scope of the invention therefore is not to be limited thereto but is to be determined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. Apparatus for. applying indicia upon packages, said apparatus comprising a source of packages arranged sideby-side, a chute receiving said arrangedpackages at one end thereof, means for continuously impelling the packages along the chute, a wheel having spaced teeth around the periphery thereof, said teeth extending into the chute and being spaced apart a distance such that the corresponding parts of adjacent teeth encompass two packages, and the extension of a tooth into the chute being less the height of a package in the chute such that every other package contacts the outer surface of a tooth and is displaced above the chute a distance equal to the extension of the tooth into said chute, whereby the side of a package adjacent the displaced package may contact a tooth and impart movement to the tooth and wheel.

2. In combination a source of packages arranged sideby-side, said packages having contiguous fiat surfaces, a chute receiving said arranged packages at one end thereof, means for continuously impelling the packages along the chute, and means for deriving power from the impelled packages to rotate a printing roller or the like, said means comprising a wheel having a toothed periphery extending above the surface of the chute into the path of movement of the packages along the chute, each of said teeth having a substantially radially disposed surface adapted to be contacted by a flat surface of a package, and a top surface disposed at an acute angle with respect to the radial surface and adapted to contact the bottom of a package to tilt the package so contacted downward toward the chute, and guide means extending over the packages adjacent said wheel, said guide means having an inner surface spaced from the surface of the chute, and the forward portion of the package being out of contact with theinner surface of the guide means during the passage of a package over the teeth of a wheel by reason of the downward tilt imparted to the package by the top surface of a tooth, whereby to prevent binding of a package between the top of a tooth and the inner surface of the guide.

3. A combination as disclosed in claim 2, the circumferential dimension of each tooth being less than the dimension of a package measured. along the chute to insure continuous side-by-side relationship between the packages.

4. Apparatus for applying indicia upon packages, said apparatus comprising a source of packages disposed in sidc-by-side relation, a chute receiving said arranged packages at one end thereof, means for continuously impelling packages along the chute, means for applying indicia to a surface on each package as the packages move along the chute, and means operated by the moving packages and connected to the indicia-applying means for operating the said indicia-applying means, said means operated by the moving packages comprising a Wheel having means for displacing every other package from said side-by-side arrangement of packages to expose a surface on the package adjacent the displaced package, and said wheel having a substantially radially disposed surface engaged by the exposed surface of said package whereby to effect a rotation of the wheel by movement of the package along the chute.

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,130,682 Augensen Mar. 2, 1915 1,340,966 McDonough May 25, 1920 1,526,357 Manischewitz Feb. 17, 1925 1,535,539 Mitton Apr. 28, 1925 2,041,574 Smallen May 19, 1936 2,521,933 Mihalyi Sept. 12, 1950 2,592,558 Gottscho et al Apr. 15, 1952 2,601,825 Blakey July 1, 1952 2,635,531 Burce et a1. Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 528,313 Great Britain Oct. 28, 1940 

